Everything & Anything New York City

mintedmatty

Not much of a report but thought I would give the low down on what we did during our 5 days in NYC.

Arrived Monday 14th Mid afternoon - Caught the Amtrak to Penn St Station then a Taxi to The Nolitan Hotel. Bit of a wait for the Amtrak at Newark but was a sunny day and could watch the planes coming into land (Ticket cost $10 ish) Made it to hotel for 3pm and headed straight out to walk down to the 9/11 memorial.

It's an eerie place and hard to imagine the scale of the buildings unless you are there. It is a mainly peaceful place but something sits uncomfortable with me, I know its a tourist attraction but I saw so many people smiling and having family photos etc done and even saw one security guard reprimand a family for laughing and informed them that 'its a memorial, not an amusement park' The Souvenir shop was just tacky and although some of the books looked interesting, being able to buy a 9/11 memorial hoodie, cap, mug just made it stink of 'cashing in'. It was worth going but dissapointed in the setup.

We then caught the Statten Island Ferry which is free there and back, good views of downtown, SOL and Ellis Island. That Evening we went to Lombardis Italian - Amazing Pizza, good beer and think the bill came to $50 dollars which was excellent value.

Day 2 we headed on the subway upto Central Park, went to look at Pomander Walk/Guggenheim. Pomander Walk was locked so couldnt even take a photo. Walk through the park various sights, lake, strawberry fields, belvedere castle. Then went to Carnegie Cafe for lunch for the famous Pastrami Sandwich - Shared one, think it was $17 enough for 2!

We then caught Subway down to Brooklyn Brewery Tour - excellent value for $20 and had a great time sampling all the various beers. Great to be informed they have opened a pop-up bar in Leeds which isn't too far from me! We then went to watch the Brooklyn Nets - great atmosphere with good food and drink. Spoke to lots of friendly americans who realised Mrs MM & I didnt really have a clue on the rules! Got home around 10pm and went straight to bed!

Wednesday - We caught Subway upto Grand Central, walked to Rockefeller from there. Was advised to go up the rock to get the views of ESB and Central Park and skip going up the ESB, I'm sure people will disagree but happy with what we did and got amazing views of downtown, and Rivers eitherside. Did Times Square, Bloomingdales, Saks and Macys, none of the stores in my opinion anything to shout about but got our Christmas Decorations from the Macys Christmas Shop.

We ate at place called Delicatessen in Noho - confusing name as it isnt a deli! Lovely Burger & Fries and again reasonable price for around $10-15 for a mains

Thursday - Walked up broadway to see Madison Square Garden, stopped for breakfast at Broadway Cafe - Amazing Pancakes and Coffee for around $7 worth every penny! Then onto highlight of my trip - The Highline - I'm into my architecture and its a wonderful creation. A peaceful walk above the noise of the traffic and hustle and bustle of the city. I could have spent all afternoon up there but we continued on as Mrs MM wanted to see Carries House from Sex and the City, and I wanted to see the Ghostbusters Fire Station, we then walked down to Wall Street and the Abercrombie shop.

Avoid the 5th Avenue Wall Street store of Abercrombie, soooo busy and full on non helpful staff. The latter is still the case in the South Sea Port store but at least it is quiet. Then we walked home and that night went to a place called the Grey Dog - Had an awesome steak and shared some Nachos. Again very reasonable!

Friday - We didn't fly until 7pm so went to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and got breakfast at Mannys which is on the corner of St James Place & Madison - Great Breakfast Bagels and Huge Coffees all for under $8 for the lot!

For the rest of the day we just strolled around the the Noho Neighbourhood - an amazing place. The Nolitan was a fantastic hotel and we received great service from the staff. I could easily have stayed another 5 nights and just explored the city, We ended up catching the Subway and Amtrak back to JFK which cost around $10 each - just as easy as a cab though not sure about taking that route at night as it does go east throughout the suburbs.

All in all a great trip, much cheaper than I thought, much friendlier than I thought and we saw no trouble whatsoever.

I could go back tomorrow!

So much for 'not much of a report'

koobkool

M4RKM wrote: »

Sam Adams is a Boston beer, you can find much better microbrews in NYC than that. Start with Brooklyn Lager. Try Sixpoint Resin or 3Beans if you can find it. Also, make sure she doesn't go over her £390 limit.

Beer, you're allowed 12 litres back to the UK!

I'm practicing with the Brooklyn Lager tonight :beer:
Google'd the Sixpoint Resin, it's 9% ABV! NYC would be a blur on that stuff.

I've said to her about the limits, never new about the beer quota cheers.

josie

£390 limit - blimey no chance of sticking under that in NYC! Cut tags out, wear the clothes, shoes and boots. I practically take an empty suitcase, but then I go primarily to shop, with some nice meals out thrown in.

opinions4u

I have to agree that "Top of the Rock" is a better use of $27 than heading up the Empire State Building.

$28 for the River Taxi that loops from 44th Street round to Brooklyn Bridge and back (including a few minutes next to Liberty) is actually quite good value if you intend to visit the places it stops at, as you can complete the journey in four or five stages.

josie

Trying to suss out steaks in the US. I know a filet mignon is what we call fillet steak, but what is skirt steak? I've googled it but none the wiser as to what we would know it as. Might it be rib eye?

M4RKM

koobkool wrote: »

I'm practicing with the Brooklyn Lager tonight :beer:
Google'd the Sixpoint Resin, it's 9% ABV! NYC would be a blur on that stuff.

I've said to her about the limits, never new about the beer quota cheers.

Aaah the age old British thought process that you'd have to drink a pint. 7%-10% beer is much better quality, but also, you'll drink a smaller portion. Think of strong ABV beers as a good wine. You wouldn't drink a pint, and at the same speed. Resin is an awesome beer, as is 3Beans (10%)

josie wrote: »

£390 limit - blimey no chance of sticking under that in NYC! Cut tags out, wear the clothes, shoes and boots. I practically take an empty suitcase, but then I go primarily to shop, with some nice meals out thrown in.

Josie - so you're happy breaking the law? C'mon, the customs officers know better than that, and YOU have to prove you didn't buy them in NYC. It's not clever to advocate theft on an online forum..

M4RKM

opinions4u wrote: »

$28 for the River Taxi that loops from 44th Street round to Brooklyn Bridge and back (including a few minutes next to Liberty) is actually quite good value if you intend to visit the places it stops at, as you can complete the journey in four or five stages.

Or get the East River Ferry for $12 for the whole day, and go from 34th Street to Long Island City, Williamsburg, DUMBO/Brooklyn Bridge/Wall Street.

koobkool

josie wrote: »

Trying to suss out steaks in the US. I know a filet mignon is what we call fillet steak, but what is skirt steak? I've googled it but none the wiser as to what we would know it as. Might it be rib eye?

I was struggling with it to Josie, here's what Wikipedia says:

Hindquarter cuts

• The loin has two subprimals, or three if boneless:
  • the short loin, from which the T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are cut if bone-in, or strip steak (New York Strip if served without the bone, and Kansas City strip if bone in).
  • the sirloin, which is less tender than short loin, but more flavorful, can be further divided into top sirloin and bottom sirloin (including tri-tip), and
  • the tenderloin, which is the most tender, can be removed as a separate subprimal, and cut into filet mignons, tournedos or tenderloin steaks, and roasts (such as for beef Wellington). They can also be cut bone-in to make parts of the T-bone and Porterhouse loin steaks.
• The round contains lean, moderately tough, lower fat (less marbling) cuts, which require moist or rare cooking. Some representative cuts are round steak, eye of round, top round, and bottom round steaks and roasts.
• The flank is used mostly for grinding, except for the long and flat flank steak, best known for use in London broil, and the inside skirt steak, also used for fajitas. Flank steaks were once one of the most affordable steaks, because they are substantially tougher than the more desirable loin and rib steaks. Many modern recipes for flank steak use marinades or moist cooking methods, such as braising, to improve the tenderness and flavor. This, combined with a new interest in these cuts' natural leanness, has increased the price of the flank steak.

koobkool

I've finally :j read this entire thread and picked up some great tips along the way, I've now built our itinerary for our trip with all the information:

NEW YORK CITY 5 nights November 2013
(Expedia via topcashback site)
Flight from Glasgow to Newark (United Airlines)
Airtrain from Airport to Newark Liberty Train Station, then train to New York Penns Station, then subway to hotel

TUESDAY 12th November 2013

Flight arrives 11.50 NYC
In Comfort Inn Times Square hotel for around 2PM (44th Street W)
Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour Downtown Loop (est 2.30hrs)
Stop off for dinner during tour or back at Virgil's BBQ Times Square
Drinks around hotel until we drop (Rum House/Smith's Bar/Deacon Broadies Tavern)

WEDNESDAY 13th November 2013

911 Memorial (pre booked tickets)
St Paul's Chapel (911 Exhibits)
Century 21
New York Stock Exchange Building & Charging Bull
Lunch at Mudville 9
Subway from Chamber St to Clark St, Brooklyn Heights
DUMBO then Walk over Brooklyn Bridge (attach padlock with our initials on bridge)
Chinatown/Little Italy depending on time then back to hotel

Subway to Meatpacking District
Dinner at Spice market
Head for drinks down Bleecker street

THURSDAY 14th November 2013

Subway to Lexington Ave (49st)
Bloomingdales
Ice Skating at Central Park (Wollman Rink) $18 instead of $39 at Rockefeller Centre
Lunch at the Loeb Boathouse, Central Park
Dakota Building
Drinks at MOBAR (35th floor), Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Columbus Circle (views of Central Park from above)

Dinner at (TBC)
Show at Minskoff Theatre, The Lion King (8-10.30PM)
Drinks in Times Square

FRIDAY 15th November 2013

Top of the Rock (TOTR)
Modells Sports Shop
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station Whispering Arches
Lunch at the Oyster Bar
[STRIKE]Drinks[/STRIKE] Stein at Bierhaus (German Bar)
Chrysler Building
Subway to Union square (14st) then Subway to Bedford Ave (L train)
Drinks & dinner in Brooklyn, Fette Sau BBQ

SATURDAY 16th November 2013

Midtown Cruise (90 mins) photos of Statue of Liberty/Bridges/NYC skyline
The High Line
Lunch TBC (Old Holmstead Steakhouse/Gansvoort Hotel)
Chelsea Market
SOHO
[FONT=&quot]Subway to Macy's & Empire State Building (if not fitted in at night previously)[/FONT]

Subway to SOHO (Spring St)
Dinner at Balthazar
Drinks around SOHO
Subway to Flatiron building (28st)
Drinks at Rooftop Bar 230 Fifth (you are given robes to wear & great views of ESB)

SUNDAY 17th November 2013

Subway to Central Park in running gear (72st)
Jog through Central Park (my PB is 3k, girlfriend can do half marathons, no pressure!!)
Subway back to Hotel
Lunch at Blue Finn in Times Square
Shopping at 5th Avenue
Leave hotel at 3.40pm for 7.40pm Flight from Newark.

I'll be buying a pass from smart destinations website (go select pass) for a nice discount on all of the above attractions.

I've got a Caxton $ card ill load up before we go (free withdrawls at ATM's in NYC)

Apps for iphone ill be using:

Embark NYC (subway)
Trip Advsior Offline
Google Maps

Thanks to Mark and all the other regulars you'll recognize some of your tips above, any improvements are more than welcome?

Oh and I still need to fit in Ellens Stardust diner somewhere!

bb69

koobkool wrote: »

I've finally :j read this entire thread and picked up some great tips along the way, I've now built our itinerary for our trip with all the information:

NEW YORK CITY 5 nights November 2013
(Expedia via topcashback site)
Flight from Glasgow to Newark (United Airlines)
Airtrain from Airport to Newark Liberty Train Station, then train to New York Penns Station, then subway to hotel

TUESDAY 12th November 2013

Flight arrives 11.50 NYC
In Comfort Inn Times Square hotel for around 2PM (44th Street W)
Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour Downtown Loop (est 2.30hrs)
Stop off for dinner during tour or back at Virgil's BBQ Times Square
Drinks around hotel until we drop (Rum House/Smith's Bar/Deacon Broadies Tavern)

WEDNESDAY 13th November 2013

911 Memorial (pre booked tickets)
St Paul's Chapel (911 Exhibits)
Century 21
New York Stock Exchange Building & Charging Bull
Lunch at Mudville 9
Subway from Chamber St to Clark St, Brooklyn Heights
DUMBO then Walk over Brooklyn Bridge (attach padlock with our initials on bridge)
Chinatown/Little Italy depending on time then back to hotel

Subway to Meatpacking District
Dinner at Spice market
Head for drinks down Bleecker street

THURSDAY 14th November 2013

Subway to Lexington Ave (49st)
Bloomingdales
Ice Skating at Central Park (Wollman Rink) $18 instead of $39 at Rockefeller Centre
Lunch at the Loeb Boathouse, Central Park
Dakota Building
Drinks at MOBAR (35th floor), Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Columbus Circle (views of Central Park from above)

Dinner at (TBC)
Show at Minskoff Theatre, The Lion King (8-10.30PM)
Drinks in Times Square

FRIDAY 15th November 2013

Top of the Rock (TOTR)
Modells Sports Shop
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station Whispering Arches
Lunch at the Oyster Bar
[STRIKE]Drinks[/STRIKE] Stein at Bierhaus (German Bar)
Chrysler Building
Subway to Union square (14st) then Subway to Bedford Ave (L train)
Drinks & dinner in Brooklyn, Fette Sau BBQ

SATURDAY 16th November 2013

Midtown Cruise (90 mins) photos of Statue of Liberty/Bridges/NYC skyline
The High Line
Lunch TBC (Old Holmstead Steakhouse/Gansvoort Hotel)
Chelsea Market
SOHO
[FONT=&quot]Subway to Macy's & Empire State Building (if not fitted in at night previously)[/FONT]

Subway to SOHO (Spring St)
Dinner at Balthazar
Drinks around SOHO
Subway to Flatiron building (28st)
Drinks at Rooftop Bar 230 Fifth (you are given robes to wear & great views of ESB)

SUNDAY 17th November 2013

Subway to Central Park in running gear (72st)
Jog through Central Park (my PB is 3k, girlfriend can do half marathons, no pressure!!)
Subway back to Hotel
Lunch at Blue Finn in Times Square
Shopping at 5th Avenue
Leave hotel at 3.40pm for 7.40pm Flight from Newark.

I'll be buying a pass from smart destinations website (go select pass) for a nice discount on all of the above attractions.

I've got a Caxton $ card ill load up before we go (free withdrawls at ATM's in NYC)

Apps for iphone ill be using:

Embark NYC (subway)
Trip Advsior Offline
Google Maps

Thanks to Mark and all the other regulars you'll recognize some of your tips above, any improvements are more than welcome?

Oh and I still need to fit in Ellens Stardust diner somewhere!

Sounds like a great trip.

A few suggestions - Day one - are you leaving enough time from landing to get to hotel? I would probably recommend a tour another day?

How about doing TOTR at sunset on this day and then a relaxed trip to Macys and Dinner.

How about the bus tour on the Wednesday with the other bits planned

I would recommend union square on the saturday/sunday they usually have lovely markets you could do union square on the Soho day. You could walk from Union Square down Broadway to Soho

There is also a smaller Bloomingdales in Soho. Also remember to go to Greenwich Village on Saturday great

Just a few suggestions. I am sure you will have a great trip!